I wouldn't be over dramatising this story if I called it the greatest love story of it's time. The story itself is really about believing that one can change their ways with the help of their friends... But like it of not A Story of Love is a love story, and a classic of that. The film is centred on three people, Harashima (Hiroyuki Sanada) the rich, dashingly handsome and cold man of the story who only has three months to live, his 30-yen-poor friend Konosuke (Koji Tamaki) and the beautiful, kind and (in Harashima's words) "amazing" Kaori (Nanako Matsushima) who almost instantly captures Harashima's heart and proves to him that love is a real feeling.
A Story of Love is also that of a forbidden love as Harashima is not only rich but engaged to a beautiful woman (Naho Toda) whom he doesn't love but is the daughter of a powerful man who will help his business. In eye-sight, poor Kaori doesn't stand a chance again her as she is poor and has nothing to offer Harashima but her love and support. However, Harashima can barely keep away from her. Despite his constant promises to his fiancée, Konosuke and even Kaori herself on the street (resulting in both of them rushing off home in tears), he always breaks them and hits her with his famous line, "Can you keep me company for a while?" Konosuke believes that Harashima is a good man at first when he thinks he's a gardener but once finding out he's Harashima, orders him not to go near Kaori ever again. Reason isn't because he believes he's a cold man has he had already seen the better side of him, but because he fears for Kaori's feelings. Kaori is one to fall in love quickly, but never had she fallen so deeply in love before. Knowing that Harshima is engaged and "out of her league" hurts her so much, that Konosuke fears for her self-confidence and even her sanity.
Fear not though, as true love wins over all of these boundaries and Kaori and Harashima stay together until the day he dies, and even afterwards as she and their friends will never forget him and she even talks to him sometimes. It's beautiful and very romantic. Not once does Harashima need to say he loves Kaori as it is right there is his eyes and the pain and longing he has to be with her is so wonderful that it makes your heart beat so quickly. Not once does he kiss her, he just holds her hand, hugs her and they sit together like a loyal wife would do for her dying husband.
"A Story of Love" has some of the most romantic, most poetic and most adorable love scenes I've ever seen. It stands alone among TV shows but it's space, it's colour and it's various story lines. If you have a chance to see it, the do so as you owe it to yourself to watch this amazing story of a dying man is is transformed by his friends and the woman he loves.
10/10
